Association between food insecurity, cardiorenal syndrome and all-cause mortality among low-income adults

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Srikanta Banerjee ◽  
Timothy Radak

Background: Food insecurity is known to be a major public health issue. There is limited data on food insecurity and chronic disease in the general population. Aim: We aimed to assess effect of food insecurity on mortality of individuals with chronic disease like cardiorenal syndrome (CRS). Methods: The study was conducted on participants aged 20 years or older in the United States living below the 130% Federal Poverty Level. We assessed food insecurity utilizing the Household Food Security Survey Module in NHANES survey for the years 1999 to 2010 with mortality follow-up. Prospective analysis was performed using complex samples Cox regression with adjustment for known confounders to determine the relationship of food insecurity and CRS. Results: Prevalence of food insecurity among the low-income population was 16.1% among males and 21.7% among females. The mean follow-up was 6.5 years. For all-cause mortality, the overall unadjusted hazard ratio (HR) of food insecurity to no food insecurity was 1.28 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.18–1.37, p < 0.001). Adjusted HR was elevated, 2.81 (CI 1.57–5.05, p < 0.001), among participants who were CRS-positive and food insecure but closer to 1.0 (2.48 CI 1.73–3.55, p < 0.001) among those who were CRS-positive and food secure, after controlling for medical and demographic risk factors. Conclusions: Food insecurity is associated with higher mortality than food security. Food insecurity also may modify the effect of CRS on all-cause mortality in a representative general population. Social policy, when addressing food insecurity, should be inclusive among those with specific chronic diseases.

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia A. Wolfson ◽  
Cindy W. Leung

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically increased food insecurity in the United States (US). The objective of this study was to understand the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic among low-income adults in the US as social distancing measures began to be implemented. On 19–24 March 2020 we fielded a national, web-based survey (53% response rate) among adults with <250% of the federal poverty line in the US (N = 1478). Measures included household food security status and COVID-19-related basic needs challenges. Overall, 36% of low-income adults in the US were food secure, 20% had marginal food security, and 44% were food insecure. Less than one in five (18.8%) of adults with very low food security reported being able to comply with public health recommendations to purchase two weeks of food at a time. For every basic needs challenge, food-insecure adults were significantly more likely to report facing that challenge, with a clear gradient effect based on severity of food security. The short-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are magnifying existing disparities and disproportionately affecting low-income, food-insecure households that already struggle to meet basic needs. A robust, comprehensive policy response is needed to mitigate food insecurity as the pandemic progresses.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niyati Parekh ◽  
Shahmir H. Ali ◽  
Joyce O’Connor ◽  
Yesim Tozan ◽  
Abbey M. Jones ◽  
...  

Abstract Background In the United States, approximately 11% of households were food insecure prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study aims to describe the prevalence of food insecurity among adults and households with children living in the United States during the pandemic. Methods This study utilized social media as a recruitment platform to administer an original online survey on demographics and COVID-related food insecurity. The survey was disseminated through an advertisement campaign on Facebook and affiliated platforms. Food insecurity was assessed with a validated six-item United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Household Food Security Survey Module, which was used to create a six-point numerical food security score, where a higher score indicates lower food security. Individual-level participant demographic information was also collected. Logistic regressions (low/very-low compared with high/marginal food security) were performed to generate adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95%CIs for food insecurity and select demographic characteristics. Results Advertisements reached 250,701 individuals and resulted in 5,606 complete surveys. Overall, 14.7% of participants self-identified as having low or very low food security in their households, with higher prevalence (17.5%) among households with children. Unemployment (AOR:1.76, 95%CI:1.09–2.80), high school or lower education (AOR:2.25, 95%CI:1.29–3.90), and low income (AOR[$30,000-$50,000]:5.87, 95%CI:3.35–10.37; AOR[< $30,000]:10.61, 95%CI:5.50–20.80) were associated with higher odds of food insecurity in multivariable models among households with children (and the whole sample). Conclusions These data indicate exacerbation of food insecurity during the pandemic. The study will be instrumental in guiding additional research and time-sensitive interventions targeted towards vulnerable food insecure subgroups.


2021 ◽  
pp. 037957212110111
Author(s):  
Emily A. Taylor ◽  
Jaime S. Foster ◽  
Amy R. Mobley

Background: Prior research has indicated a varying relationship of food security and obesity risk between men and women yet factors affecting this relationship are unclear. Objective: The objective of this study was to examine factors related to the gender disparity in the food insecurity–obesity paradox within a sample of low-income parents. Methods: Low-income cohabiting mothers and father pairs (n = 25) living with their child were interviewed individually using the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Module, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, and Coping Strategies Index to examine gendered factors related to the food insecurity–obesity paradox. Results: There was a significant ( P = .003) difference in report of adults in the household sacrificing consumption to feed young children between mothers (2.91 ± 0.92) and fathers (3.59 ± 0.73), with mothers reporting greater sacrifice and compromised diet quality to feed their children, but no significant correlation among body mass index, depression, and food insecurity was detected. Conclusions: Food insecure mothers may be more likely to compromise their diet quality to feed their children than fathers. This could help explain why the food insecurity–obesity paradox is significant only in women, and this work gives insights into gender-based differential consequences of food insecurity.


BMC Nutrition ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Milagro Escobar ◽  
Andrea DeCastro Mendez ◽  
Maria Romero Encinas ◽  
Sofia Villagomez ◽  
Janet M. Wojcicki

Abstract Background Food insecurity impacts nearly one-in-four Latinx households in the United States and has been exacerbated by the novel coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We examined the impact of COVID-19 on household and child food security in three preexisting, longitudinal, Latinx urban cohorts in the San Francisco Bay Area (N = 375 households, 1875 individuals). Households were initially recruited during pregnancy and postpartum at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and UCSF Benioff prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. For this COVID-19 sub-study, participants responded to a 15-min telephonic interview. Participants answered 18 questions from the US Food Security Food Module (US HFSSM) and questions on types of food consumption, housing and employment status, and history of COVID-19 infection as per community or hospital-based testing. Food security and insecurity levels were compared with prior year metrics. Results We found low levels of household food security in Latinx families (by cohort: 29.2%; 34.2%; 60.0%) and child food security (56.9%, 54.1%, 78.0%) with differences between cohorts explained by self-reported levels of education and employment status. Food security levels were much lower than those reported previously in two cohorts where data had been recorded from prior years. Reported history of COVID-19 infection in households was 4.8% (95% Confidence Interval (CI); 1.5–14.3%); 7.2% (95%CI, 3.6–13.9%) and 3.5% (95%CI, 1.7–7.2%) by cohort and was associated with food insecurity in the two larger cohorts (p = 0.03; p = 0.01 respectively). Conclusions Latinx families in the Bay Area with children are experiencing a sharp rise in food insecurity levels during the COVID-19 epidemic. Food insecurity, similar to other indices of poverty, is associated with increased risk for COVID-19 infection. Comprehensive interventions are needed to address food insecurity in Latinx populations and further studies are needed to better assess independent associations between household food insecurity, poor nutritional health and risk of COVID-19 infection.


2008 ◽  
Vol 21 (suppl) ◽  
pp. 27s-37s ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugo Melgar-Quinonez ◽  
Michelle Hackett

Measuring household food insecurity represents a challenge due to the complexity and wide array of factors associated with this phenomenon. For over one decade, researchers and agencies throughout the world have been using and assessing the validity of variations of the United States Department of Agriculture Household Food Security Supplemental Module. Thanks to numerous studies of diverse design, size, and purpose, the Household Food Security Supplemental Module has shown its suitability to directly evaluate the perceptions of individuals on their food security status. In addition, challenges and limitations are becoming clearer and new research questions are emerging as the process advances. The purpose of this article is to describe the development, validation procedures, and use of the Household Food Security Supplemental Module in very diverse settings. The most common Household Food Security Supplemental Module related studies have been conducted using criterion validity, Rasch modeling and Cronbach-Alpha Coefficient. It is critical that researchers, policy makers, governmental and non-governmental agencies intensify their efforts to further develop tools that provide valid and reliable measures of food security in diverse population groups. Additional work is needed to synthesize a universally applicable tool able to capture the global human phenomenon of food insecurity.


2018 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 524-530
Author(s):  
Ayesha Saeed ◽  
Mobina Naqvi ◽  
Ahsan Javed

Pakistani population is seriously malnutritioned and is hunger redisposed. Based on the Global Hunger Index Pakistan is ranked at 107 of 118 countries .Food insecurity is among major causes of under-nutrition and has been associated with low birth weights. This study aimed to assess the effect of maternal foodinsecurity on birth weight of neonates in Lahore, Pakistan.Ina prospective cohort conducted at Shalamar Hospital Lahore; from April to August 2016, written informed consents were obtained from 103 eligible pregnant women. Data on demography was collected through a structured questionnaire and exposure wasassessed through 6-items Version of U.S. Household Food Security Survey and cohort was followed until delivery, and birth weight was recorded. Follow up could be completed for 50 women only and response rate was 49%. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and relative risk and multinomial logistic Regression were applied using SPSS version 22. Mean maternal age was 28.100+4.824 years, mean education was 12.400+2.138 years, mean BMI was 29.420+5.075 and mean household income was PKR 25641+16251.543. With these characteristics, the mean birth weight of2.814+0.551 kg was recorded. Four percent (n=2) had very low food security and 34% (n=17) women had low food security. Importantly, food unsecured women had a 5.439 times increased risk of delivering a low birth weight neonate (RR=5.439, CI=1.710-17.296, p=0.002). Regression analysis indicated a significant association (AOR 16.076, CI=2.381-108.564, p=0.004).Based onthese studies, it was concluded that food insecurity in pregnancy is associated with low birth weight in neonates. Antenatal screening of food insecurity and timely provision food supplements through social welfare can help reduce neonatal morbidity and mortality.


Author(s):  
Denise Holston ◽  
Jessica Stroope ◽  
Matthew Greene ◽  
Bailey Houghtaling

Food insecurity in rural settings is complex and not fully understood, especially from the perspective of low-income and Black residents. The goal of this study was to use qualitative methods to better understand experiences with food access and perceptions of the food environment among low-income, predominately Black rural Louisiana residents in the United States. Data were collected from focus group discussions (FGD) and focus group intake forms. Study participants were all rural residents eligible to receive at least one nutrition assistance program. FGD questions focused on perceptions of the food environment, with an emphasis on food access. Participants (n = 44) were predominately Black and female. Over half (n = 25) reported running out of food before the end of the month. Major themes included: store choice, outshopping, methods of acquiring foods other than the grocery store, and food insecurity. Concerns around price, quality, and transportation emerged as factors negatively impacting food security. Understanding residents’ perceptions and experiences is necessary to inform contextually appropriate and feasible policy and practice interventions that address the physical environment and social conditions that shape the broader physical food environment in order to achieve equitable food access and food security.


2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 1139-1148 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon I Kirkpatrick ◽  
Valerie Tarasuk

AbstractObjectiveAlthough the sociodemographic characteristics of food-insecure households have been well documented, there has been little examination of neighbourhood characteristics in relation to this problem. In the present study we examined the association between household food security and neighbourhood features including geographic food access and perceived neighbourhood social capital.DesignCross-sectional survey and mapping of discount supermarkets and community food programmes.SettingTwelve high-poverty neighbourhoods in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.SubjectsRespondents from 484 low-income families who had children and who lived in rental accommodations.ResultsFood insecurity was pervasive, affecting two-thirds of families with about a quarter categorized as severely food insecure, indicative of food deprivation. Food insecurity was associated with household factors including income and income source. However, food security did not appear to be mitigated by proximity to food retail or community food programmes, and high rates of food insecurity were observed in neighbourhoods with good geographic food access. While low perceived neighbourhood social capital was associated with higher odds of food insecurity, this effect did not persist once we accounted for household sociodemographic factors.ConclusionsOur findings raise questions about the extent to which neighbourhood-level interventions to improve factors such as food access or social cohesion can mitigate problems of food insecurity that are rooted in resource constraints. In contrast, the results reinforce the importance of household-level characteristics and highlight the need for interventions to address the financial constraints that underlie problems of food insecurity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne Freeland-Graves ◽  
Mahsa Babaei ◽  
Prageet Sachdev

Abstract Objectives To examine the relationships between food security and prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in low-income women. Methods This cross-sectional study involved 220 women, 18–50 years of age, who were recruited from dental clinics and low-income households in Central Texas. On one visit, women completed a Demographic Survey and the United States Household Food Security Survey Module. Two trained dentists conducted dental screenings for evaluation of periodontal status, using two indices: Clinical Attachment Loss (CAL) and Bleeding on Probing (BOP) to discern severity of periodontitis. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess the effect of food insecurity on the status of periodontal disease, after adjustment for socioeconomic status. Results The mean age of participants was 38.13 ± 9.43 years. The majority were Hispanic, had completed a high school education, and had a mean income of <$25,000/year. Over half of the sample (54.55%) was food insecure, followed by marginally food secure (24.09%) and highly food secure (21.36%), based on cut off values of the Household Food Security Survey Module. Mean values for Clinical Attachment Loss and Bleeding on Probing were 1.742 ± 0.75 and 1.632 ± 2.23 respectively. These results indicated that the women exhibited periodontal disease, with stages of mild (56.83%), moderate (26.36%) and severe periodontitis (16.81%). Food insecurity was directly related to the severity of periodontal disease, as illustrated by the Clinical Attachment Loss (β-coefficient = 0.170, p value = 0.01) and Bleeding on Probing (β coefficient = 0.380, p value = 0.00), after adjustment for socioeconomic status. Conclusions Food insecure individuals appear to be at a great risk for periodontal disease. Whether this relationship is due to lack of food resources, improper dental equipment or hygiene, or nutrition knowledge will be explored as the study progresses. This health risk for periodontal disease should be incorporated into public health policies concerning food insecurity. Funding Sources Bess Heflin Centennial Professorship.


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